Day 31
East Timor
A year ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Global Diabetes Compact, an initiative to reduce the risks of diabetes and improve access to treatment for diabetes. East Timor is one of the countries to benefit from better access to insulin. Praise God for this provision. Pray for those who struggle with illness in East Timor, to get access to appropriate health care. We also declare that Jesus was a great healer and people all tried to touch Him because power was coming from him and healing them all. Pray for miraculous healings to testify to the power of Jesus Christ (The Bible, Luke 6:19).
Source: The Global Diabetes Compact: a promising first year (WHO)
The country, also known as Timor-Leste, had a bloody 24-year resistance against Indonesian occupiers, gaining independence officially in 2002. In stark contrast to this turbulent past, East Timor peacefully transferred power to a younger generation of leaders in the 2017 presidential elections. However, the nation has failed to form a secure, strong government since the 2018 parliamentary elections. The membership of the governing coalition changed again in 2020. Half of the country, with a population of only 1.3 million people, still lives in extreme poverty. High levels of youth unemployment fuel gang violence. With around 95% of its population being Roman Catholic, it is one of only two predominantly Christian nations in Southeast Asia. Churches face no persecution.

Day 31
The Gambia
The Gambians have gone to the polls to vote for a new National Assembly in an election set to consolidate a young democracy. Although Adama Barrow’s National People’s Party is short of an absolute majority in the 58-seat chamber, the Gambian president’s party narrowly wins legislative polls. On the other side, over 6,000 are displaced in the Gambia after Senegal separatist fighting flare-up. Fighting pushed 691 people in Casamance to cross over and seek refuge in the Gambia, a tiny nation of around 2 million inhabitants. Pray that God in His great might keep His covenant and show loving-kindness to prove His awesome power to the Gambians and protect them from all potential harm. Pray for the Lord who made the entire universe and rules it to make the Gambians know that He is their creator and they should bow before Him (The Bible, Psalm 95:3-7).
Sources:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/10/gambian-presidents-party-narrowly-wins-legislative-polls
The Gambia is a tiny, peaceful Muslim country. Adama Barrow is the president of The Gambia. Anger and disappointment flare-up in the Gambia after the announcement of the unlikely coalition between the party of former leader Yahya Jammeh and that of his successor Adama Barrow, seeking a new mandate in December. Human rights defenders see this as a betrayal to the victims of Yayah Jammeh’s 20 years of rule. Hamid Adiamoh, the editor-in-Chief of the NewDay newspaper in the Gambia said that the party led by Yayah Jammeh held the position that the Gambia would not move forward from that era of tyranny and has brought the country to its knees. Human rights groups in the Gambia have decried the possible return of former President Yahya Jammeh, who ruled the Gambia. Ninety percent of the Gambia population is Muslim, but there is some religious freedom and tolerance. Christians, mostly Protestant, make up 5% of the population.

Day 31
Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip is controlled by Hamas and Islamic Jihad and they are coordinating policies and activities there. The aggression of the Islamic Jihad movement against Israel is said to be contained by Hamas. Islamic Jihad is trying to escalate conflict for fresh fighting but it is prevented by its ally. As Israeli soldiers were wounded during the recent clashes, the situation is tense and new reinforcements are set along the border with the Gaza Strip. Palestinian farmers in the area are forced to leave for fear of being injured or killed. Pray that God with His mightiness makes wars cease to the ends of the earth and breaks the bow and shatters the spear and burns the shields with fire, and stops the escalation of attacks by the Gaza Strip and Israel. Pray for the Palestinians to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and believe in His mighty deeds. They can be still and know that He is God exalted in their nation (The Bible, Psalm 46:9-10).
Sources:
The Gaza Strip is a narrow strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea in the Middle East, bordered by Egypt to the southwest and Israel to the north and east. Ismail Haniyeh is the president and Mohammad Shtayyeh is the Prime Minister in Gaza. The Gaza Strip residents are severely constrained by political rights and civil liberties. Blockade of the territory, periodic military incursions by Israel have imposed serious hardship on the civilian population. The Islamist political and militant group Hamas gained control of Gaza following its victory in the legislative elections and a subsequent conflict with Fatah, the ruling party in the West Bank. The subsequent schism between Hamas and the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority has contributed to legal confusion and repeated postponement of elections, which have not been held in Gaza. Israel launched a month-long air campaign against sites in Gaza in early August 2021, in response to a rocket attack launched from the territory. Israeli authorities tightened restrictions on the flow of materials, including fuel and construction materials, into Gaza.

Day 31
West Bank
It is unfortunate that Palestinians are trying to vandalize Biblical sites of importance. There are already existing terrific tensions between West Bank and Israel. Adding to woes, the tomb of Joseph the Biblical figure was destroyed by an attack. This has escalated further tensions between Israelis, and Palestinians Israeli forces have carried out fresh raids in the West Bank. Sadly, there has been a spate of Israeli and Palestinian deaths in recent days, including deadly attacks which have caused shock across Israel.
Pray for God who rules and reigns in His mightiness to subdue the wicked and the violent. Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. Pray for God’s power to enforce calmness in Jerusalem and the West Bank and eliminate unrest and the current violence between Palestinians and the Israeli security forces (The Bible, Psalm 11:4-5).
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-61040362
https://indianexpress.com/article/world/israel-army-raids-west-bank-town-as-tensions-soar-7862972/
Mahmoud Abbas is the president and Mohammad Shtayyeh is the Prime Minister of the West Bank. Israel’s army said it was extending the closure on the West Bank and Gaza due to a manhunt for six Palestinian escapees who tunneled their way out of jail. To locate the escaped prisoners, it has been decided to extend the general closure. However, all of the other crossings will remain closed, and Palestinians could pass through them only under special or medical circumstances and on a humanitarian basis. The closure has been imposed right before the Jewish New Year. Israel considers the main Jewish holidays as prone to attacks by Palestinian militants and regularly closes off the occupied territories during these times. The increased violence has brought grief as there was the loss of Palestinian and Israeli lives that could, and should, have been avoided.
